


Found in Translation

by green_grrl



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:56:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4029280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_grrl/pseuds/green_grrl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everything to be learned from the Ancients is about technology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found in Translation

**Author's Note:**

> Season four-ish. Mentions of events in The Fifth Race, Forever in a Day and Window of Opportunity. Also makes use of knowledge from Lost City and Stargate: Atlantis.
> 
> A million thank you's to princessofgeeks for advice and beta.
> 
> For the arcana_fic challenge. My prompt was the Ace of Cups: The beginning of love, joy, beauty, or good health

The sun is shining, with just enough breeze to be refreshing. The delicately spiced curry they were served for lunch has Jack's brain humming with a mild endorphin buzz. The city, Elandus, is attractive, the people are friendly and no snake has ever slithered foot on this planet. Jack is as happy as he can be, offworld.

A broad path through the trees winds around the hills outside the city. Dappled sunlight, river water murmuring over rocks as their way crosses its path, higher mountains visible in the distance—it's a pleasant walk for the team and their guide.

Jack wonders if there are fish in the river.

Madzca, the local leader, had weighed them for two days with shrewd eyes masked by hospitality. _Clever minx_. Jack had been his most charming self. For the crowds, the glib jokester. For those who got past the surface, the honorable soldier, loyal protector of his team. Those who cared to look closely found the intelligence, the dry humor, the heart.

Jack has shrewd eyes of his own. Madzca is a kindred soul.

She had decided she likes them.

Daniel had been sure he'd glimpsed signs of the Ancients hinted at in word and form and pattern, in the culture of the Elandans. As usual, he was right. Madzca explained that there was another race settled on Elandus before her people, a race that may even have brought them there. Because SG-1 has earned her trust, she is now taking them to the Ancestors' palace—from her description, a temple with Ancient technology.

His kids are about out of their minds with excitement. Jack is cautiously optimistic.

The way begins to curve just before the crest of the hill and Madzca slows a bit. The team catches up, and Jack feels a subtle anticipation, a sense of unveiling, in the way she's paused. Then they crown the ridge and SG-1 comes to a full stop, astonished.

Nestled in the valley before them, the temple _is_ a palace. Aesthetically balanced walls and domes form a captivating silhouette pierced by graceful towers. Subtle coloring shines creamy, rosy and golden in the afternoon light.

Water tumbles over a cliff behind, throwing up a mist that catches the slanting sun and fills the valley with a radiant haze.

"It's... it's like the Taj Mahal," Carter stutters softly, not meaning the Taj Mahal at all, because it really doesn't look anything like it.

"Or the Hagia Sophia," agrees Jack.

He turns to Daniel, who has gotten past his initial awe and is cocking his head to eye the building critically. Jack can practically see the slides flashing behind Daniel's eyes as he compares it with Ancient designs they've seen so far.

"Nooo," Daniel remarks absentmindedly, "If anything there's a Gothic or Art Deco sense about it. Well, maybe a hint of Moorish -- the geometry."

Jack shakes his head. "Let's go, campers. The only way we'll know if Ancient doohickeys await is to go see."

\+ + +

Jack gets the sense of homecoming, of peace, from Madzca, as she tours them through the palace. He feels pretty comfortable here himself.

Elandans occasionally stay over for study or retreat, and she has prepared a living apartment for SG-1 if they wish to use it rather than return to the city. Once she leads them to the library, there is no doubt they will be staying. If it were possible for Carter and Daniel to exhaust themselves and simply drop to the library floor to sleep, they surely would.

The scientists eagerly pull tablets from the shelves to examine them, smooth flat rectangles the size of a large book, studded around the edges with inset decorations that look like semi-precious stones.

"The materials are consistent with Ancient technology we've run into before," Carter reports.

"These don't seem to have any sort of on switch." Daniel's lips are pursed, forehead deeply furrowed with study.

"No," Madzca explains sadly. "The technology of the Ancestors is quite beyond us. I am hopeful that with your experience with their devices, you will be able to tell us what these treasures are."

Carter muses as she compares tablets from different parts of the room. "They all appear to be the same. I'm guessing that this _is_ a library, and that for want of a better description these are all books." She runs her hands over the edges, pressing and stroking at the designs.

Teal'c seems relaxed, yet remains near the door, alert as always, so Jack decides to take a look at the toys. He wonders how much of the Ancient script he might recognize -- it's been a few months since his enforced language lessons. He picks up a tablet for a closer look, and nearly drops it when its jeweled ornamentation glows and the slick surface lights up into a screenful of text.

"Hey." He frowns at it and rotates it right side up.

"Jack!" "Sir!"

"How did you do that?" Daniel is next to him in a second, eyes already scanning rapidly over the revealed writing. Carter and Madzca rush over.

"I just... picked it up." Jack shrugs, moving the screen better into Daniel's line of sight.

"Here, sir." Carter hands him the tablet she'd been holding. Jack passes the activated tablet to Daniel and takes Carter's. It lights up, too.

The Wonder Twins go into a tizzy of speculation about residual effects of the Ancient database that had rewritten his brain. Daniel, as usual, multitasks, and soon declares, "I think... I think this one's poetry."

Madzca's face lights up with joy. "You are able to read these, too?"

"Um, yes," he replies distractedly, already immersed in evaluating the second tablet.

"Colonel O'Neill," Madzca says with formal invitation, "The people of Elandus would be happy to share any knowledge you find here with your people, if you would be so good as to share the knowledge with us. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like to explore the library."

Daniel gives Jack the hungry look of the archeologist who wanted to stay on Abydos, the linguist who wanted to stay in Heliopolis.

"Daniel," he warns, "There are thousands and thousands of these tablet thingies here. You can't read them all." Before Daniel can start arguing, he continues, "However we have three more days scheduled, and I can recommend to Hammond that we extend the mission."

Daniel flashes him a grateful smile, and immediately begins conferring with Sam on a system for sampling volumes from different areas to get an idea for subject matter. They gang up on Jack to use him as a human on-off switch for the devices they thrust at him. He affects crankiness at the treatment, but part of him responds to a pull -- the tablets _want_ to be read.

That night as he's lying in bed, Jack feels a buzz and hum under his hands still. An almost life. A whisper he can't quite hear.

\+ + +

"This one is amazing!" At least that's what Jack interprets Daniel as saying around a mouthful of lunch. Daniel swallows and continues, "Judging from this, it's likely the Ancients had some influence in the development of Classical Greece. The material in this volume could keep scholars occupied for years!"

"Whoa, wait a second. I thought that thing you were translating was lesbian poetry. What, you think this writer was actually Sappho or something?"

"Nooo." Daniel rolls his eyes. "What I _meant_ was that I'm finding references woven into the literature that suggest philosophies of democratic governance, in terms similar to those found in the early development of Greek democratic ideals. This could provide an understanding of how the Classical era--"

"Daniel." Jack interrupts again. "Not that this wouldn't be fascinating to your average tweed-jacketed history professor, but I think the SGC will find it useful, if and when we do run into the Ancients some day, to have some idea of what they're like."

Daniel blinks. "Of course, Jack. I'm already taking notes for a report on that."

"Good." He eyes his MRE, not sure whether he wants to finish it. "Give me the preview. What, are they into hockey?"

Daniel ignores the dumb routine. "Well, speaking of lesbian poetry, certainly Senator Kinsey will be thrilled to learn they don't seem to have any inhibitions about homosexuality."

Jack snickers. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he reads that report."

Daniel flashes him a conspiratorial grin. "I would pay to see his reaction."

"I can just see him trying to get the builders of the stargates into Bible study..."

"But wait! First can you beat the goa'uld for us? Then let me tell you about how you're all going to Hell."

Jack snorts. "Been there, done that. To bad we blew it up before he could get sent there."

\+ + +

Jack idly watches the dust motes dance in the sunlight streaming through the library windows. He glances over—nope, Daniel still doesn't need any tablets turned on. _Hurry up and wait._

He's done mind-numbingly boring guard duty in much less pleasant places than this. It doesn't help, though, that there is absolutely nothing to guard _against_ here. No enemies, no wild beasts, not even any biting insects.

Carter had scanned the library thoroughly and assured them that there was nothing here but the tablets, all definitely non-explosive. Now she and Teal'c are back at the SGC dissecting some newly captured goa'uld device.

So Jack is stuck here in paradise, bringing books to life for Daniel to translate, and watching his six. All in the name of good interplanetary relations and finding Ancient knowledge.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like they'll get much of the latter, other than vague philosophical inferences or oblique glimpses into Ancient sociology.

Daniel had reluctantly admitted that this seems to be entirely a repository of arts and letters. He was probably afraid Jack would drag him back home when he reported that he'd found no technological or historical records. Just poetry, plays, short stories, novels—in a variety of genres.

But Jack had promised him two weeks to read as much as he could. It's doing wonders for their alliance with Elandans, if nothing else.

Jack checks on his charge again. Daniel is frowning at the tablet in front him, thumb running unconsciously over and over along the edge of the device in agitation, face turned slightly, unconsciously drawing back from the text.

"Whatcha reading?" Jack's carefully casual tone belies the almost physical need he feels to pull Daniel away from whatever it is that's upsetting him.

"Oh, just yet another great work of literature. It's a play." Daniel's expression shutters. "Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. Boy loses girl."

 _Crap_. There are some things Jack can't guard Daniel against, some hurts that will reach him even here, in a comfortable room in a sheltered valley on a welcoming planet. It's the friend more than the CO who reaches out.

"Let me see it."

"I haven't finished it yet."

"Is it a tech manual for a planetary shield mechanism?"

"Nooo..."

"Then let me translate this one while you go on to the next one. I'm bored outta my mind—I need something to do besides counting floor tiles."

Daniel looks reluctant as he slowly slides the tablet over. As painful as reading this story is, his damned sense of responsibility is probably kicking in and making him feel guilty for not finishing the job. Never mind that it was a randomly pulled tablet and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

Jack shakes his head. He _will_ have to translate it, just to keep Daniel from taking it back. "Pass me the dictionary."

Daniel inches the Medieval Latin lexicon across the table. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Jack shrugs. "So it'll take me ten times as long." Daniel arches his eyebrows in skepticism. "Okay, twenty times as long. What else do I have to do here?"

"You _must_ be really bored."

"Not any more. Look at that, I've got me a nice paperback to read." He waves the notebook with Daniel's translation of the first three acts. "Better than Barnes and Noble." _The audience goes wild—it's the performance of a lifetime._

Daniel shakes his head, but finally turns to a new tablet. _And please, god, don't let that be another tragedy._

Jack is fairly sure his Ancient is not up to finishing more than this one text in the time that they have.

\+ + +

The play is a good one. Jack finds himself caught up in the story of Elorast and Jerran, companions since childhood. Elorast meets Ralia, and they fall completely in love. Jerran throws them a huge wedding, delighted in his friend's happiness, and marital bliss ensues. Until Ralia contracts a rare illness. Everything that can be done for her is tried, but at the end of act three she dies and Elorast is devastated.

Jack shifts in his seat. He is wary of tearjerker books or movies, hates the thought of getting caught crying. This one makes him work to stay in control.

He takes up the tablet and begins the difficult work of translating the last two acts.

Ancient squiggles become Roman alphabet thanks to Daniel's laptop, and he lets the program translate some of the more obvious known words. But he's picked up enough about Daniel's job to know that translation is more art than science, and he allows possible word choices to tease through his mind and weave in and out of context before sketching down his ideas for what a line means. At this rate he'll be lucky to finish before they leave.

Still, it helps pass the time. He wouldn't want to do it for a living, but as a challenge it's interesting.

When the tide of restlessness flows, Jack tours the palace in a perimeter check until it ebbs.

But the story stays with him even when he pulls away. He is increasingly interested in finding out what happens. And hoping more and more for a happy ending. Not that he can't appreciate a good tragedy, but the fourth act is "boy grieves for girl" and that brings back memories of times Jack is glad are in the past.

Walking a circuit through hallways of gracefully peaked arches, part of Jack is still a ghost at Jerran's shoulder as they helplessly watch Elorast withdraw from life.

\+ + +

Jack is sitting in the courtyard off the library playing with the tablet. An insistent... something is pushing at him. _More_ , he feels. He ignores the transcription in the laptop and concentrates on a section of text on the tablet. He tries it out in Ancient in his mind. Something about it niggles at him. He repeats it out loud, his voice echoing lightly off the courtyard walls.

The cadence of the words -- they almost have a rhythm, like music. He can almost hear...

The tablet erupts with sound, instruments like he's never heard before and a clear voice singing heart-wrenchingly the words he's been reading.

"Jack?" Daniel is standing in the arched doorway of the courtyard.

Jack holds up the tablet. "It's not a play. It's an opera."

\+ + +

Madzca is elated. To have the great literary works of the Ancestors translated is a gift. To hear their music, their song, is a blessing beyond imagining. She brings Elandan recording equipment to capture the performance, as they haven't figured out any way to get the tablet to play other than for Jack to hold it and imagine hearing the music.

Jack doesn't want to think too closely about what exactly might have happened to his brain when his head was stuck in that database downloader.

Daniel chooses some of tablets he's translated that in retrospect he thinks might be ballads or operas, and has Jack try them. In many cases they do play, and Madzca and Daniel both record them with their respective equipment.

The Elandans decide to hold a great festival at which the music will be broadcast with the translated text running in tandem. Jack and Daniel will be the guests of honor, naturally.

Daniel watches Madzca go off to organize it with a contented look on his face. Jack is feeling pretty warm and fuzzy himself. _We don't have these kinds of missions often enough—the ones where we just make people happy._

"Are you okay with this festival, Jack?"

"What? Big party, lots of food, smiling people? You bet."

It will be a few days, so Daniel throws himself back into his work, hoping to have as many songs as possible done in time.

\+ + +

The fifth act of the opera is a surprise to Jack. He plays back the audio version repeatedly to confirm by the sound of the singers' voices that he is interpreting the text correctly. As he finalizes his translation for sections, he replays them, singing along with the characters to feel the story flow. He can barely stand to set the work aside at night, to wait for the following day to continue, which Daniel finds endlessly amusing.

But as he draws to the end, there's no doubt. He has his happy ending.

Act five is "boy meets boy." Or re-meets... or finds... or something.

In the fifth act Jerran discovers his feelings for Elorast go deeper than just friendship, and Elorast finds the healing he needs in Jerran's love.

Jack lies back on a bench in the courtyard, the sun filtering through flowering vines, heating the blooms to release their perfume. He listens to the entire opera from beginning to end. Then he sits up and reads it through in translation.

It works perfectly for the characters and their story. It's... right.

Suddenly he feels the scented air pressing in on him, and flees to splash his face in the fountain pool.

\+ + +

That night he goes to bed early, turning away from Daniel's bed, as if that will help Jack resist thinking about him. It doesn't.

He can't lie to himself. The immediate impact that the opera's ending made on him means that there were feelings there he hadn't recognized. At some point, growing closeness in his and Daniel's friendship, in their trust, crossed into deeper emotional territory when he didn't notice it. Now that the mirror has been held up, he sees it. It's attraction... on every level.

He groans silently to himself and twists restlessly in the sheets. When they were first shown this apartment, he'd thought what a luxury it was that they each got their own, big bed. Now the bed feels empty, and he is hyperaware of Daniel also sleeping alone, a few feet away.

\+ + +

Festival day they are overwhelmed. Jack and Daniel are pulled into knot after knot of giddy Elandans wanting to embrace them, thank them for this priceless gift. Jack's face is going to split from grinning.

Various cliques ply him with savory treats. They follow with ale, and he has to take tiny, sparing sips to keep his head clear, though their euphoria is catching.

During a break between songs, his eyes refind Daniel getting the same treatment at the head table. His high spirits settle into a deeper, broader sense of well-being, of _rightness_ , at the sight.

Almost as if he feels Jack's stare, Daniel turns to look, unerringly homing in on Jack in the sea of bodies. Daniel gets up and heads towards him. Even in short glimpses through gaps in the crowd separating them, Jack can see his obvious delight. He's wearing that open smile of pure joy, and it's impossible not to respond. When Daniel finally wiggles through, Jack sweeps him into a hug and adds a few extra squeezes for good measure. "Having a good time, buddy?"

Daniel lets out a carefree laugh, and how long has it been since Jack's heard that? "Hell of a party," Daniel finally gets out.

A little too late, Jack realizes he should let go. It takes another moment to actually be able to do so. Every part of his body that had touched Daniel still tingles with hyperawareness.

Fortunately Daniel seems not to have noticed. No, Daniel just innocently stands side-by-side with him looking around them, reaches his arm around Jack's waist to pull him close again. "Looks like this is one diplomatic mission that's a success, anyway." He's beaming at the crowds.

Jack is fixated on the profile beside him, and hesitates before reaching up to ruffle Daniel's hair, then drop the hand to his shoulder. "Yeah," he replies, voice husky. _Oh god, I'm in trouble._

"Oh, hey," Daniel disentangles himself. "There are the _geeks_." He gives the word a light, teasing emphasis. "I have to work out with them getting the Ancient translation database from my laptop into their system, using their syllabary."

Jack helplessly watches him bounce off. Too late, he sees Madzca approaching him, looking as perceptive as ever.

"A remarkable man," she comments, with a glance after Daniel.

"Hmmm." Jack is noncommittal. As if that will negate what she has already seen.

"As are you."

Jack knows better than to play the dumb grunt for her, so he says nothing, studies the toes of his boots.

"In fact," she continues, "You make a remarkable pair."

Jack remains silent a beat. Two. Three. Finally he says, "He's my best friend."

"That's always the best foundation for romance." She nods wisely and pats his arm encouragingly. "You're good for each other."

She makes it sound so simple.

Fortunately the next ballad starts before he has to respond, and a flock of girls comes flapping before him to steal him away. Ignoring the scrolling text on the large displays, they've decided to dance instead of reading the lyrics, pulling the reluctant colonel into their laughing whirl.

He's a good sport about it, but one glimpse of Daniel, tall and handsome, watching him from afar with a smile, is enough to distract his thoughts completely from the company he's with.

He's got it bad.

\+ + +

The festival is winding down when Jack finds himself alone with Madzca again, in a bubble of space in the midst of the throng.

"So, great party."

Madzca looks around. "It was indeed, and thanks to you. You and Daniel are heroes of Elandus. I hope that you will be able to return to us again."

"I'd like that, too," Jack replies honestly. Despite being ambushed by his emotions, he is truly enjoying this mission and these people.

Daniel finds his way to them and beams at Madzca. "So, great party." He doesn't understand why they burst out laughing, doesn't realize he's parroted exactly Jack's sentiment of just a minute ago.

"Yeah, okay, okay." Jack capitulates to Madzca's remark earlier. Yes, sometimes it does seem like he and Daniel are made for each other. When it doesn't seem like they'll kill each other.

Daniel just looks between them, politely puzzled.

Jack has no intention of explaining. "You about ready to go, Daniel? We have a bit of a hike."

"Yeah, sure. Let me just grab my pack."

Madzca loads them up with more of the local food, which has been a welcome change from MREs, and they hit the trail with many well wishes and thank you's from the Elandans.

The walk back to the palace is a respite from the noise and flurry of the day.

When they reach the valley overlook just before sunset, Jack watches Daniel, instead of the view before them. Catching the wonder on his face, painted amber by the light, it is all that Jack can do to hold back from touching him.

He realizes he _will_ have to find out whether or not his feelings might be returned. And if they're not, it will take a lot of work to get over this man. He shifts his pack and continues down the path, listens for the crunch of Daniel's footsteps behind.

\+ + +

In the morning, Jack gives Daniel his translation of the opera to check.

"Uh oh. You're finished?"

"Yup. Uh oh?"

"I'm a little worried. Job security here. Maybe I'll mark this up and say you got it all wrong, so nobody knows I have competition." Daniel is the worst joke teller in history, wiggling his eyebrows to emphasize his drollery. It's the adorable geekiness that tempts Jack to laugh.

He snorts instead. "As if."

"I don't know. Maybe I'd better put in more hours on the firing range, in case they want us to switch jobs."

Jack punches him lightly on the shoulder. "Cut it out, you knucklehead. Not gonna happen. They couldn't pay me enough to do your job." He raises a stalling finger before Daniel finishes opening his mouth. "And no, that doesn't mean I'm going to recommend you get a raise."

Daniel laughs as he takes the notebook and tablet out into the courtyard to review the work. The silliness over, Jack's nervousness climbs as he thinks about Daniel reading the opera's ending. He makes himself scarce.

Hours later, he has nerves of a different sort when Daniel hasn't tried to find him. Well, he had needed several hours -- days even -- to work through his reactions to the story. He hopes it's a good sign.

When Jack spots Daniel on a balcony, staring in the direction of the waterfall, he makes his way to the tower, then up to the overlook.

Daniel seems pensive and Jack hesitates before approaching him. When that blue gaze fixes on him, though, there's no point in not coming forward to join him at the rail.

"Nice job on the translation."

"Thank you." Jack taps his thumb unconsciously on the railing.

"Wasn't the ending I expected."

"It's a happy one." Jack keeps his tone as neutral as possible.

"Yeah, it is," Daniel sighs.

Jack inches the conversation forward. "Not an entirely unfamiliar story. To us."

"I'm not paralyzed by grief," Daniel snaps. He softens his tone, looks apologetic, "I had a lot of time to learn to live with Sha're's absence before she died—it wasn't the same kind of mourning as..." He waves his hand instead of naming Elorast. He pauses before continuing, "We didn't grow up together. We hardly knew each other before I got married—"

Jack cuts him off. "Some things are the same." He turns from the view towards Daniel.

When Daniel faces him, mutely questioning, Jack slowly reaches out his hand. Daniel doesn't pull away, so he clasps the nape of Daniel's neck, and gently runs his thumb from cheek to jaw and back again before gently disengaging his hand and walking away.

"Jack, wait!" Daniel sounds stricken. Jack freezes in place. "Y... You can't just _touch_ me and... and leave."

Jack turns around. Daniel hasn't moved, doesn't look like he can move. Does look painfully confused. "I mean, I never thought before... I hadn't ever considered..." He pleads with his eyes.

"I know. I know. I'm not... I'm not pushing or anything. It's just... if you want..."

Daniel closes his eyes. "I can't lose your friendship."

"Won't happen, Daniel. No matter what." Daniel nods his trust in the firm promise. Though truthfully, if Daniel chooses "just friends" at this point Jack will have a hell of a time getting the genie back in the bottle. He'd _never_ let Daniel know it, though. Daniel has make his own decision.

"How much of this is Jerran?" Daniel asks, opening his eyes to catch Jack's reaction. Which is a snort of dismissal.

"When you translated that sea ballad, did you suddenly want to become a sailor?"

Daniel shrugs. "I had to ask."

"Yeah, I know. No, this..." he waves his finger back and forth between them "...isn't the opera. It just made me realize some things that had been there for a while."

Daniel bobs his head. "Yeah." Was that acknowledgment or agreement? Fierce hope that Daniel has been making the same realizations surges. Jack squashes it ruthlessly. _On Daniel's time._ It has to be.

Jack hooks a thumb. "I'm just going to... take a walk."

His last glimpse before he turns is Daniel's intense stare after him, and the image stays with him for hours.

When he gets back to their room late that night, Daniel still hasn't returned. Jack thumbs the radio. "Check in."

The tinny voice sounds. "I'm good."

"Copy. I'm turning in." And Jack forces himself with the discipline of a soldier to go to bed, go to sleep.

\+ + +

When Jack wakes in the dim gray light of pre-dawn, he sees Daniel sitting cross-legged on his own bed, watching Jack.

"Did you even sleep?" mutters Jack.

"Not really."

"Huh." Jack yawns and wakes up a little more. He scoots over, propping up a little on pillows, then pats the top of the sheets next to him in invitation. "Come visit."

Daniel gets up and reseats himself on Jack's bed.

"You look so peaceful when you sleep," remarks Daniel.

"Old Special Forces trick. Feign innocence even while unconscious."

Daniel throws an elbow, but Jack intercepts it. "Watch the bladder."

"So get up and pee, already."

Jack grunts, but does.

Done, he climbs back into bed, sitting up against the headboard. He watches Daniel pick at the bed linens, but there's not a lot he can do until Daniel decides to speak.

"I didn't realize... I mean, I've never..." Daniel's attempt trails off.

"But?"

Daniel, saying everything with his eyes, nothing with his voice, reaches towards Jack. Jack sits up straight, cross-legged, to get closer. He takes Daniel's hand and slowly brings it to his mouth to place a kiss in the center of the palm.

Daniel closes his eyes a moment and leans forward into the touch. Then he opens them and nods yes with a desperate look, so Jack uses his other hand to cup the side of Daniel's face and slowly draw them together.

The sense of expectation is enormous, charged. They are so sensitized to each other that when their lips finally touch, one of them whimpers. Or maybe both. Mouths open and soft, they work small kisses on each other until Jack gently runs his tongue along Daniel's upper lip and Daniel moans and crushes them together.

Hungry the way he hasn't been for years, Jack knows with some part of his brain he should be frightened of how overwhelming this is, how out of control he feels. But he can't be bothered. The only thing that matters is Daniel and getting as close as possible to him.

"Can I touch you?" Jack's voice has gone low and throaty with arousal.

"Oh, uh. Oh!"

"Take off your clothes."

Daniel climbs quickly, if clumsily, off the bed so that he can strip down as rapidly as possible to his prominently tented underwear. Then he crawls under the sheets and scoots close to Jack, pushing at the waistband of Jack's boxers. "You, too." Jack rushes to help, then reaches over to push Daniel's off, as well.

Bare arms slide against waists, hips. Jack trails the back of a finger across belly and down, and traces along the hard column of velvet skin. Daniel leans forward to smother his groan in Jack's mouth. His hand tightens on Jack's hip.

When he's able to let go his grip, Daniel does his own exploring, and Jack bites back a sob at the intensity of being touched by someone else after so long, someone he's this intimately tied to.

Jack can't keep his eyes off the beautiful sight before him -- neck tendons cording, brow crinkling, lower lip caught between teeth. They stroke each other more firmly, and Jack pushes his hips closer, gently loosens Daniel's hand until they wrap around both together.

"Oh god!" The soft, sensitive skin and driving hardness together are overwhelming. They both rock into their twin grip, impelled towards the end.

Daniel's pulsations, wet spatter, gasping cries, all send Jack over the edge.

Before he completely succumbs to lethargy, Jack hooks his discarded boxers with his foot and pulls them up to where he can grab them. He wipes off the worst of their mess. Daniel is already settling against him with kisses and hums, dreamy-eyed and smiling, drifting to sleep. Jack is more than happy to hold him and watch.

\+ + +

Some hours later Daniel comes to again. Jack sees him blink and look up to see Jack meeting his gaze. "So. Not some sleep deprivation-induced hallucination?"

Jack smiles. "Nope. I think we have the sticky fingers to prove it."

"Ew." But he smiles back. "Tell me, why haven't we done this before?"

"We're idiots?"

"Must be." Daniel sighs. "So..." he hesitates as he asks, "You've done this before? With men?"

"I had a little stress relief in the field a couple times, back when. But I've never been in love with a guy before."

"Oh." Daniel opens his mouth and closes it again, and seems altogether unsure of what exactly he should do with himself at that admission. "Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

"Huh." They're having an ineloquent moment, but Daniel tries. He meets Jack's eyes, and pats his chest, over his heart. "I, uh... you too, you know."

And that is more than clear enough.

\+ + +

They lie facing side by side, legs twined. Faint moonlight washes the color from the room, but there is enough light for Jack to trace Daniel's face with his fingers, delicately cataloging the features by touch, as he sings an aria from Jerran to Elorast.

Daniel looks at him with shining eyes, as if this song, in Jack's rough, battered voice, unpracticed in alien tonal scales, is an exquisite hymn that he has been extraordinarily lucky to catch the performance of.

Jack feels Daniel relax completely against him, radiant and content. This is what makes Jack happy—to pour so much love into Daniel that it fills him up and runs over.


End file.
